The General Directorate of Traffic has launched a special centre for the service of specially-abled and elderly persons.
Located at the Traffic headquarters in Madinat Khalifa South, the centre provides all traffic services. These include licensing and parking permits. The centre is open from 7 am to 1 pm.
Captain Zemal al-Shammari from the Licensing Department at the General Directorate of Traffic told local Arabic daily Arrayah that the directorate has also launched a programme that helps the specially-abled persons get permits electronically through Matrash 2 and the website of the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
The officer said the centre presently receives 5-10 permit requests daily through Metrash 2 and the MoI website, while it records 50-60 manual requests a week. Customers, according to him, still opt manual transactions due to lack of awareness about the e-services and the misconception that manual submission is faster and easier even though electronic submission is the best and the easiest.
Captain al-Shammari said some motorists continue to occupy parking slots reserved for persons with disabilities. He said it is against the law for normal persons to park their cars in the spaces provided for persons with disabilities unless the disabled person is present with him in the vehicle.
"In cases where vehicles are parked in spaces allotted for specially-abled persons, a violation will be recorded and the driver will draw a fine of QR 1000." A vehicle that is allowed to use the reserved parking space must either be driven by the beneficiary himself/herself or if it is driven by another person, the special needs person has to be present as a passenger in the vehicle.
Appropriate actions have been taken against motorists who violate such laws and the campaign against the malpractices have yielded results, he added.
Captain Zemal al-Shammari from the Licensing Department at the General Directorate of Traffic told local Arabic daily Arrayah that the directorate has also launched a programme that helps the specially-abled persons get permits electronically through Matrash 2 and the website of the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
The officer said the centre presently receives 5-10 permit requests daily through Metrash 2 and the MoI website, while it records 50-60 manual requests a week. Customers, according to him, still opt manual transactions due to lack of awareness about the e-services and the misconception that manual submission is faster and easier even though electronic submission is the best and the easiest.
Captain al-Shammari said some motorists continue to occupy parking slots reserved for persons with disabilities. He said it is against the law for normal persons to park their cars in the spaces provided for persons with disabilities unless the disabled person is present with him in the vehicle.
"In cases where vehicles are parked in spaces allotted for specially-abled persons, a violation will be recorded and the driver will draw a fine of QR 1000." A vehicle that is allowed to use the reserved parking space must either be driven by the beneficiary himself/herself or if it is driven by another person, the special needs person has to be present as a passenger in the vehicle.
Appropriate actions have been taken against motorists who violate such laws and the campaign against the malpractices have yielded results, he added.